Web-based applications that allow members to share user-generated content are prevalent. Examples of such applications include social networking applications, including content-sharing web sites such as the YouTube™ site. Social networking applications generally are online communities that allow members to interact and share information. Some social networking applications focus on a particular category of information-sharing or human relationship, such as interacting with current or former classmates or business networking. Additional examples of social networking applications include the Facebook™, MySpace™, Digg™, Del.icio.us™, Digg™, Twitter™, Linkedin™, Nexopia™, Ning™, Skyrock™, Orkut™, YAHOO! Buzz™, and Friendster™ applications. The content that may be shared using these types of applications includes video, images, text, hyperlinks, or a combination of these types of content.
Some social networking applications allow members to share content using hyperlinks embedded in content delivered from a third party. For example, a news article on news web site such as www.nytimes.com may be associated with a hyperlink that allows a viewer to share the article using a social networking application. The viewer clicks the link and logs-on to a web site associated with the social networking application to have the article or a link to the article appear on the viewer's page provided by the social networking application for others to view or access.
Similar to a web page, an electronic communication, such as an email message, can include content with an embedded link to allow a recipient of the communication to share the content using a social networking application. For example, an email that includes an advertisement and an embedded link for sharing the advertisement is transmitted to a recipient's email address. The recipient clicks the embedded link to share the content using the social networking application. “Sharing” can include having the advertisement or a link to the advertisement displayed on the recipient's social networking web page and may be referred to as “forwarding” or a “forward” to a social networking application. Such sharing capabilities can be a powerful way to expose others to an advertising campaign, news article, or other type of content. Those with relationships with the recipient on the social networking application, for example, may be more receptive to an advertisement or other message if it is from someone with whom they have a relationship, such as with the recipient.
Thus, a recipient that has a propensity for sharing content from messages using a social networking application can be a valuable asset in a content delivery strategy. However, it can be difficult to track content being shared using a social networking application and to identify a recipient that shares content. Accordingly, systems and methods for tracking shared content and identifying a recipient that is likely to share content are desirable.